1. Technical Field
The invention relates generally to thermal storage and transfer. More particularly, the invention relates to the use of heat pipes and adsorbent materials in the transfer of thermal energy. Specifically, the invention relates to a thermal energy storage and transfer system in which heat pipes are cooled by ice or a similar frozen material in order to provide cooled air, and an adsorbent material is used to extract heat energy from hot exhaust gases to provide heated air, especially during off peak hours.
2. Background Information
The principal of thermal storage using internal melt ice-on-coil technology is widely known in industry or commercial buildings for redistributing and shaving cooling loads. In particular, ice is formed in a tank with the aid of a refrigeration system during off peak hours. Thermal energy is transferred to and from the ice by circulating brine in pipes which directly contact the ice or with water which directly contacts and melts the ice to generate cold water. In each of these applications, a pump is required to circulate fluid flow in and out of the storage zone and towards the area to be cooled. This concept works well in large scale installations where space and power are available, such as commercial buildings.
However, as noted above, these methods require circulating pumps. In addition, where brine is used, brine leaks are problematic as well as the loss of heat associated with the transport of brine or other liquid between the ice tank and the airstream to be cooled. In addition, these systems typically require a substantial amount of space which is a drawback which may prevent them from being used in many applications.
While there are a number of applications which would benefit from the elimination of the above problems, one example relates to cooling systems for motor vehicles having a compartment which is commonly used as sleeping quarters when the vehicle is not traveling. For example, recreational vehicles or cross country trucks which have extended cabs fit within this category. Particularly, with regard to truckers who are on the road an extensive amount of time and thus sleep in their cabs for convenience and to avoid the additional cost of hotels and so forth, it would be convenient to have a cooling system which operates at night or whenever the truck is parked to eliminate the requirement of running the engine during these times of rest.
In addition, fuel-powered engines, whether used on a vehicle or otherwise, produce a substantial amount of heat which is wasted and pollutants which are exhausted into the environment, causing health problems and adding to global warming. It would be a great benefit to utilize this wasted thermal energy and reduce such pollution emissions. Moreover, some states and countries have legislated or are in the process of legislating that the engines of these cross country trucks must not be operated during down times. Thus, there is a need in the art for a solution to these various above mentioned problems, all of which are addressed by the present invention.